Seemingly as quickly as the Randy Moss-to-the-Vikings trade rumors began Tuesday night, so too did the denials.
First, NFL Network's Michael Lombardi tweeted that the Patriots have not given Moss permission talk with anyone about a new deal -- a trade to Minnesota is supposedly hinging on Moss and the Vikings agreeing on a new contract.
Then the Herald's Ian Rapoport reported that "a trade is not 'done.'" But he added that he has "not been told a trade is not being discussed. So yes, one is being discussed for Moss and the VIkes."
But perhaps the biggest denial came from Stacey James, the Patriots Director of Media Relations, who, when reached for comment by CSNNE.com's Tom Curran, said, "There's no trade."
That of course could simply be posturing by the team, but it's important to recognize that James acknowledged even the idea of a trade.